Toy



March 24, 1936. -.R. P. F. FERBER TOY Filed June 3, 1935 Patented Mar.24, 1936 UNITED STATES Application June 3, 1935, Serial No. 24,728 InFrance June 8, 1934 10 Claims.

The present invention relates to toys imitating reptiles (crocodiles,snakes, lizards, etc.) or fishes (eels).

Up to the present time it has been vainly en- 5 deavoured to devise toysof this kind capable of moving in the same manner as the animals theyrepresent.

The object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the typedescribed capable of mov- 10 ing in exactly the'same manner as theliving an imal for propelling itself.

An important feature of the toy according to the present invention isthat the movement is positively imparted to the parts of the toy, that15 is to say all the points thereof are compelled, through a suitablemechanism, to move with the desired motion.

For this purpose, the body of the toy, which is of a shape imitatingthat of one of the animals above referred to, is made flexible in alldirectio'ns in a plane, for instance a horizontal or a vertical plane,and inside this body there is mounted a flexible longitudinal memberhaving, preferably, in the freestates, the shape of a 25 spiral of largepitch. Means are provided for giving this member a movement of rotationabout itself whereby it imparts to said body undulatory and alternatingdeflections which serve to the propulsion of the toy. This propulsionmay be improved by giving the external suriace of the body of the toy astructure capable of increasing the friction of this body with respectto the surface on which it bears (for instance suitably directedprojections, hairs or the like) or by providing suit- 35 able supportingorgans, such for instance as wheels, disposed at different points alongthe body of the toy.

Instead of being devised for moving on the ground, the device accordingto the present in- 0 vention can be devised in such manner as to be ableto float in a liquid, its propulsion in said liquid being eventuallyfacilitated by means of vertical fins disposed at suitable points alongits length.

Other features of the present invention will result from the followingdetailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed with reference 50 to the accompanying drawing, given merely byWay of example, and in which:

0 Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrammatical explanatory iews illustrating the twochief modes of propuls on of the device according to the present in- 55-vention;

PATENT OFFlCE Fig. 3 is a plan view of the whole of a toy made accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, the shape of the flexiblelongitudinal member through which 5 the toy is propelled;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view in vertical projection, showing, also onan enlarged scale, .a portion of the body of the toy;

Fig. 6 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line VII-VII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of a modification in which the body of thetoy is made in a different manner;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line IX-IX of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the head of the toy showing a modification ofthe mechanism for driving the longitudinal member.

In accordance with the above explanations, the toy or other device whichis the subject of the present invention has, at any time, the shapeshown in a diagrammatic manner by Fig. 1, that is to say the shape of acurve similar to a sinusoid, and this body is flexible in all directionsin the plane of this curve; The motion that is obtained according to theinvention consists of an undulatory motion of the toy in which the wavesseem to be prolonged either toward A or toward B, ac- 3o cording to thedirection of rotation of the flexible longitudinal member above referredto. If the movement takes place in a horizontal plane (the toy restingover its whole length upon a horizontal flat surface) every point of thetoy moves by sliding in the direction of the tangent at this point tothe curve shown by Fig. 1, and the whole of the system moves, eithertoward A or toward B, along the path shown in dotted lines.

If the plane in which the deformations of the toy take place is avertical plane (the toy bearing upon a horizontal flat surface at pointsa, b, c) and the direction of the displacement is from. A toward B, allof the points of the curve between 0 and b come successively intocontact with this horizontal supporting surface and for each period thewhole of the system moves forward a distance equal to the differencebetween the distance be tween' points 0 and b along the curve and thedistance between 6 and b along a straight line passing through both ofthese points.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the toy is devised to undulate in ahorizontal plane. In this embodiment, the body of the toy consists of aseries of annular elements I pivoted to one another about vertical pins2. This body is provided, at one of its ends, with a pointed partcorresponding to the tail of the animal and, at the other end, with ahead 4 connected to the adjacent annual element through apart 5 whichcorresponds to the neck of the animal.

In each of these annular members I, there is provided a vertical crosspiece 6 (Fig. 7) provided with a central hole or, preferably, with aslot 1 parallel to pins 2. A flexible and elastic rod 8 (consisting forinstance of a piano string) which has previously been given the shape ofa helix (Fig. 4) preferably of large pitch, is passed through the holesor slots of the various cross members 6. As the body of the toy cannotbe deformed in the vertical direction, this member 8 is deformed bybeing flattened in the vertical direction (Fig. 5). 0n the contrary, inthe horizontal plane, member 8 imparts its deformation to the body ofthe toy, giving it an undulated shape, as shown by Fig. 6.

It will be readily understood that if rod 8 is caused to rotate aboutitself each of its points imparts to the corresponding point of theundulating body of the toy an alternating translation of an amplitudeequal to that of the undulated curve corresponding to said member 8.This translation takes place in a plane at right angles to pins 2 (ahorizontal plane in the present case) and produces an undulatory motionof the chain of annular elements I. The waves of this chain move towardthe right or toward the left, according to the direction of the rotationof rod 8. In the example shown in the drawing, the rotation of rod 8 isproduced by a rubber string 9 mounted in the head 4 of the toy andsecured, on the one hand, in a hook l0 carried by the end of said rod 8,and, on the other hand, in a similar hook ll carried by the end of aspindle 12 provided with a crank l3 permitting to wind up this rubberstring. Rod 8 is provided with a stop l4 preventing its axialdisplacement under the effect of the tension of the rubber string. Inorder that the sliding movement of the body of the toy on the ground maybe possible only in the direction of its longitudinal axis, said bodymay be provided with small rollers IS, a pair ii of which shalladvantageously be provided at the head of the toy.

The flexible longitudinal member 8 might also consist of a series ofelements articulated to one another.

Fig. 8 shows a modification of the undulatory body in which said bodyincludes a supple ribbon or band 24 on either side of which are fixedjuxtaposed rigid elements 25-26 which prevent deformation of the wholein a plane different from that of the figure. All the elements 25disposed on the same side of the ribbon are each provided with a slot 21located as close as possible to said ribbon (Fig. 9) and through whichpasses the longitudinal spiral shaped element 28, corresponding tomember 8 of the preceding embodiment.

Fig. 10 shows a modification of the mechanism for driving thislongitudinal member which can be applied, for instance, when the toy isto be dragged on the ground by means of a string 29 fixed for instanceto the front end of the head I. In this embodiment, said head iscarried, as above explained, by a couple of wheels l6, but on the axlel6 of said wheels there is keyed a bevel pinion 38 which meshes withanother bevel pinion 3i fixed to the front end of the longitudinalspiralshaped member 8, whereby the rotation of the wheels is transmittedto the said member.

As above stated, the toy or device according to the present inventioncan also be adapted to move in a liquid, for instance in the manner of acrocodile or an eel, and this movement may take place as well in avertical plane as in a horizontal plane. It will suflice, in this case,to arrange that the toy may float in the liquid, for instance byproviding it with a liquid-tight and flexible sheath or by devisingeither the whole or a part of the body in such manner that it may floatin the liquid.

In this case, the toy may also be made of two parts: One of these parts,the upper one, consists of a flexible material capable of floating inthe liquid which is suitably shaped so as to imitate the body of theanimal, while the other part, disposed under the first mentioned one mayconsist, for instance, of flat elements of sheet metal cut to thedesired shape and jointed to one another about vertical pins, theseelements being provided with vertical guides forming slots through whichis passed the elastic spiral-shaped rod corresponding to rod 8 of thepreceding embodiments.

When this rod is caused to rotate it produces undulations of theseelements about their axes of articulation, thus causing the system to bepropelled as above explained. These undulations are transmitted to thebody made of a flexible material through which the whole is supported inthe liquid and which also serves to hide the jointed metallic elementsabove referred to.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to its application totoys. It may be used, in a general manner, for producing propellingdevices and more especially nautical propellers.

While I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to bepractical and efflcient embodiments of the present invention, it shouldbe well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as theremight be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of theparts without departing from the principle of the present invention ascomprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A toy or other device of the kind described for use either on theground or in a liquid, which comprises, in combination, a flexible bodyof elongated shape, deformable only in one plane, said body beingprovided with a passage extending throughout its length, a flexibleelastic elongated member extending through said passage, said memberhaving when free the shape of a helix the diameter of which is greaterthan the width of said passage in the direction of the plane in whichsaid body is deformable, and means for causing said member to rotateaboiit itself inside said body.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which said last mentioned meansinclude a mechanical motor mounted inside said device and means forwinding up said motor.

3. A device according to claim 1 for use on the ground, in which thelast mentioned means include at least one wheel for supporting a portionof said device adapted to run on the ground, and means for transmittingthe rotary motion of said wheel tosaid member, the device being, in thiscase, intended to be dragged upon the ground.

4. A device according to claim 1 further including means provided alongsaid body for facilitating the crawling motion of the body along theundulated curve corresponding to the shape of said member.

5. A device according to claim 1 in which said body includes supportingmeans for permitting said body to float in a liquid.

6. A toy or other device of the type described for use either on theground or in a liquid, which comprises, in combination, a flexible bodyof elongated shapeincluding 'a plurality of elements pivotally connectedto one another about parallel axes, each of these elements beingprovided with an elongated hole parallel to said axes, a flexibleelastic elongated member extending through all of said holes, saidmember having when free the shape of a helix the diameter of which isgreater than the maximum length of any of said holes, and means forcausing said member to rotate about itself inside said body. l

'7.- A device according to claim 6 in which said elements are annularand engage in one another, further including a plurality of parallelpins, each piece fixed to one end of said member and means' for twistingthe other end of said piece.

10. A device according to claim 1 in which said passage has, in crosssection, an elongated shape in a direction at right angles to the planein which said body is deformable.

ROBERT PAUL FREDERIC manna.

